Adjustable curtain holder



Aug. 11, 1931. F. BREUER 1,817,962

ADJUSTABLE CURTAIN HOLDER Filed Oct. 17. 1930 INVENTOR fiaZBrezzer BY '0. ,6 id: ATTORNEY all Patented Aug. 11, 1931 'UNETE' STA"i"E FRED BREUER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ADJUSTABLE CURTAIN HOLDER Application filed October 17, 1930. Serial No. 489,285.

This invention relates to the are of ourtain holders and is concerned more particularly with a novel type of holder designed to be swung out of the way when not in use.

The invention has in View, as an important object the provision of a curtain holder which may be adjusted into a plurality of operative positions whereby the curtains may be held in a variety of positions to afford the appearance effect desired. This feature of adjustability also renders the holder susceptible of being thrown back out of the way when not in use.

In carrying out this idea in a practical embodiment, a holder is provided which comprises an arm formed with a hooked end designed to catch the curtain and which arm is mounted on the window frame through the medium of instrumentalities which are operative to afford the desired features of adjustability and movement out of operative position. More detailed features of the invention are associated with the design of these instrumentalities which provide for the adjustment of the curtain-retaining arm.

More in detail I avail of an arrangement which includes a bracket or back-plate which is adapted to be attached to the window frame. Cooperating with the back-plate is a spring clamp or hinge member which is pivotally mounted and which is clamped about the curtain-retaining arm to swingably support the latter in operative position. A stop for limiting the swinging movement of the spring hinge is provided in the form of a lug which is struck from the back plate. In this connection it is notable that this lug is struck from the back plate centrally thereof so that the plates may be used interchangeably on either side of the window frame, thereby obviating the need for a plate of one design on one side of the frame and one of a different design on the other side of the frame.

IVith these and other more detailed objects and advantages in View, as will in part become apparent and in part be hereinafter stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations, and ar rangements of parts as will be subsequently specified and claimed.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a front view of a window having curtains held in their proper position by curtain holders designed in accordance with the precepts of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the curtainretaining member together with the mounting instrumentalities therefor. This view includes a dotted line illustration bringing out the position of the curtain holder when it is swung out of the way;

Fig. 3 is a detailed showing of the mounting instrmnentalities at the other side of the window, that is those which are complemental to the arrangement shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. at is an enlarged detail section taken about on the plane represented by the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is another sectional showing taken about on the plane represented by the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation-of a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view somewhat similar to Fig. 5, but taken about on the plane rep resented by the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive, a window of the conventional type is indicated at A and has draped thereabout curtains referred to as B. The curtains B maybe suspended from curtain rods (not shown) located at the top of the window A in the usual manner. They are held in the position indicated in Fig. 1 by a pair of :my curtain holders, referred to generally by the reference character C, there being one of these holders C at each side of the window.

Taking up the particular construction and design of the holder C. it is noted that one of these holders comprises a curtain-retaining arm shown at 10, which has one end bent in the form of the wide-open hook 11. In a preferred form, this hook includes a straight portion 12 which is in substantially parallel relationship with the main body portion of the arm 10. The arm 10, at the end remote from the hook 11, is bent over to provide a portion 13 which is intended to constitute a pivot about which the arm swings. An extremity of this bent-over portion 13 may be bent over as shown at 1 1 to provide rctaining means for maintaining the pivotal portion 13 in a swinging mount which will be pointed out in detail hereinafter.

It is important that the front portion 11 of the curtain-retaining arm 19 be disposed in proper angular relationship with the pivot portion 13 so that it will assume the inclined position with respect to the cur tains, as is brought out in Fig. 1. 1n carrying out this thought the hook portion 11 and pivotal structure at the other end of the arms are disposed in planes which are in oblique angular relationship with respect to one another.

The instrumentalities availed of for operatively mounting the curtain-retaining arm 10 are shown as comprising a back plate 1:) which is attached to the frame of the window A by attaching means to be later described. This back plate 15 is formed with a pair of spaced openings shown at 16 and 17 through which fastening members pass in order to aliix the instrumentalities, as a whole, to the frame A. A spring clamping member is indicated at 18 and consisis of a blank of sprin metal which is bent into the form clearly rought out in Fig. 4 which provides the engaging fiat portions 19 and 20 which are connected together by the rounded or lip portion 21 that provides a recess 22 for receiving the pivotal portion 13 of the curtain-retaining arm. When the parts are not assembled. the arms 19 and 20 of the spring clamp 18 normally assume a position in which they are sprung apar. They are brought into engagement shown in Fig. 4; when the parts are assembled to mount the arm 10. The flat portions 19 and 20 are provided with openings 23 and 24 respectively which are in substantial alignment and which also register with the openings 17 in the plate 15 when the parts are assembled. It is notable that the opening 24 is of an elongated or oval shape so that the fastening member may be passed through the openings 23 and 21 when the portions 19 and 20 are sprung apart.

A retaining member referred to generally as 25 is positioned over the plate .15 and spring clamp 18. This retaining member 25 consists of oll'sct portions 26 and 27 which are formed with opening 28 and 29 respectively. The opening 28 registers with the opening 16 in the bracket member 15, while the opening 29 is in alignment Wldll the openings 17, 23, and 2st. lVhen the various instrumentalities are assembled on the frame of the window A the openings are in alignment as noted above and fastening means in the form of headed screws 30 and 31 pass through the openings and have their threaded ends embedded in the wood of the window frame. It is important that the screw member 31 be formed with a smooth cylindrical surface shown at 32 adjacent its head so as to provide for a snug engagement with the walls of the openings 17, 23, 24, and 29.

The assembling and operation of the above-described mechanism may be briefly outlined as follows 1n mounting the curtain holder C at each side of the window frame A, the pivotal portion 13 of the arm 10 is first placed in the recess 22, after which the arms 19 and 20 of the spring clamp 18 are brought together. The back plate 15 is held at the proper place on the window frame and the retaining member 15 brought into position with the opening in the various parts in alignment as above indicated. The screws 39 and 31 are now threaded through the registered openings to a point where the heads thereof engage the outer face of the retaining member. lVhen the screw member 31 is screwed up tightly the arms 19 and 20 are in close engagement in which position the pivotal portion 13 is tightly clamped to hold the arm 10 against swinging movement. Adjustment of the position of the arm 10 with respect to the spring clamp 18, as well as adjustment of the latter with respect to the bracket 15, is permitted by a loosening of the screw 31 which not only provides for movement of the spring clamp 18 with respect to the bracket 15, but also loosens the loop portion 21 about the pivotal arm 13 sufficiently to provide for relative movement therebetween. V hen the device is not to be availed of it is swung about into the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 2 and the screw member 31 ightened to hold it in position.

hen the curtain holder is needed for holding purposes the screw member 31 is loosened and the parts adjusted into their proper holding position, whereupon the screw 31 is tightened to maintain them in that holding position until later adjustment is desired. The arm 10 maintained substantially horizontal by the effect of a rest shown at 33 which takes the form of a lug struck from the plate 15. This lug 33 is located centrally of the plate 15 whereby the latter is adapted for use at either side of the window. This feature of interchangeability obviates the need of a specific design for the instrumentalities at each side of the window. The plate 15 can be placed in one position on one side of the window and merely inverted when it is tobe used on the other side.

Referring now more pa cular ly to 6 and '7, a somewhat modified form of means for operativel mounting the curtain arm 10 is shown. In this form the arm 10 ten minates in a flattened-out extremity 33 which is provided with an opening centrally thereof, as indicated at 36.

A clamping member of somewhat different design from the spring clamp 18 is availed of in connection with one of the plates 15 and the use of the retaining member 25 is eliminated. In this form the clamping member, which is referred to generally as 37, includ s a back piece 38 formed with an opening 39 through which extends the head of the screw member 31 to pivotally mount the clamping member on the plate 15. Turned up from the back piece 38 are side pieces 40 and 4050 which are integrally connected with the back piece 38 at the end adjacent the opening 39 but which are separated therefrom at the other end. The separated portions are offset from the integrally connected portions, as shown at 41 and 42 and connected therewith by inclined portions 43 and 44. The offset parts 41 and 42 are provided with openings 45 which register with the opening 36 in the flattened end 35 of the arm 16. A headed bolt 46 extends through these openings, which are in register, and has a nut 47 threaded on its end to retain the parts in assembled relation. A lock washer 48 may be interposed between the nut 47 and the offset portion 42 to prevent accidental unthreading of the nut. it is evident that upon loosening the nut 47 the arm 10 may be swung about the bolt 46 as a pivot and that a tightening of the nut will retain the arm in an adjusted position. The back piece 38 cooperates with the lug 33 to maintain the arm in its horizontal position in the manner already pointed out. The holder may be swung into its upper and operative position in just the same manner as is the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the screw member 31 being loosened to permit of this swinging movement.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a curtain holder which is of comparatively simple construction and design and which may be manipulated to ad just the operative position of the holding parts whereby a variety of appearance ef fects of the curtains is afforded, and which may be swung into an out-of-the-way position when not in use. Morever, the holder includes instrumentalities for positively maintaining it in any one of its positions.

lVhile preferred specific embodiments of the invention have hereinbefore been set forth, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the exact constructions illustrated and described because various modifications of these details may be .provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A curtain holder of the character described, comprising an arm formed with a curtain engaging hook at one end thereof, instrumentalities for mounting the arm on the frame of .a window consisting of .a spring-clamp engaging the arm and means for pivotally mounting the spring clamp on the window'frame, said means being operative to affect the clamp to permit'of relative movement between the arm and the clamp.

2. A curtain holder of the character described comprising a plate having an "open ing therein, a spring clamp having a pair of arms with openings registering with the opening in the plate, said arms having a loop portion therebetween defining a'recess, .a fastening member extending through said registering openings and constituting means for attaching the plate and clamp to a window frame and at the same time permitting of the pivotal movement of the clamp with respect to the plate, and a curtainretainin-g arm having a bent-over portion in the-recess ofthe clamp.

'3. A device of the character described comprising a plate having spaced openings therein, .a lug struck from the plate centrally thereof a spring clamp pivotally mountedon the 'plate'by a fastening member extending through one of said openings, said fastening member also constituting a means for mounting the plate on the window frame, said spring member being formed with a.;recess, and .a curtain-retaining arm havingia bent-over portion adapted to engage in said recess, the said lug constituting a stop for limiting the swinging movement of the clamp with respect to the :plate.

4. A curtain holder of the character .de scribed comprising .a plate, means "for fastening the plate to the frame of a window, said means consisting of screw members passing through openings in the plate,

a clamping member pivotally mounted on on'eofsaid screw members, a curtain-retaining arm and means for swingably mounting the curtain-retaining arm on the clamp member.

5. A curtain holder of the character described comprising a plate, means for fastening theplate to the frame of a window, said means consisting of screw members passing through openings in the plate, a clamping member pivotally mounted on one of said screw members, a curtain-retaining arm, means for swingably mounting the curtain retaining arm on :the clamp member,

and means for limiting the swinging movement of the clamping member, said screw rec member constituting a means for maintaining the clamp member in an adjusted position with respect to the plate.

6. In combination, a curtain-retaining arm having a wide-open hook at one end adapted to receive a curtain and a bent-over portion at the other end constituting a pivot about which the arm may swing, said hook and pivotal portions being disposed in planes in oblique angular relationship, and instrumentalities for mounting the arm on the window frame for pivotal movemet.

7 In combination, a curtain-retaining arm having a wide-open hook at one end adapted to receive a curtain and a bent-over portion at the other end constituting a pivot about which the arm may swing, said hook and pivotal portion being disposed in planes in oblique angular relationship, and instruinentalities for mounting the arm on a window frame for pivotal movement, said last-mentioned means including a pivotal mounting for permitting of the swinging of the arm into an out-of-the-way position when not in use.

8. A curtain holder of the character described, comprising a plate, means for attaching the plate to a window consisting of spaced openings and screw members passing through said openings, a clamping member having a. back piece with an opening therein through which one of said screw members passes, side pieces being integrally connected with the back piece, said side pieces having offset portions with aligned openings, a curtain-retaining arm having a flattened extremity disposed between said offset portions and having an opening in alignment with said openings in said offset portions, and a bolt passing through said aligned openings.

9. A curtain holder of the character described comprising a plate, means for attaching the plate to a window consisting of spaced openings and screw members passing through said openings, a clamping mem ber having a back piece with an opening therein through which one of said screw members passes, side pieces being integrally connected with the back member, said side pieces having offset portions with aligned openings, a curtain-retaining arm having a flattened extremity disposed between said client portions and having an opening in alignment with said openings in said offset portions, a bolt passing through said aligned openings, a nut cooperating with said bolt and a lock washer associated with said nut, said plate having a lug struck therefrom constituting a stop for limiting the swinging movement of the back piece with respect to the plate. I

10. A curtain holder of the character described comprising an arm formed with a curtain engaging hook at one end thereof, a

vertically *rcuate moving clam fo pivotally retaining said arm, a "acket plate for attachment to a window frame, and means for attaching the bracket to said frame and the clamp to the bracket whereby said arm and clamp are movable relatively to each other in respective verticaland l1()1'i76011i121l planes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed my name hereto.

FRED BREUER. 

